This Week in Anime [Week 25, 2021]

Date Published: Thurs, 8th July, 2021

July is off to a powerful start in the world of anime; new beginnings, surprising spin-offs and delicious controversies all define the headlines for this month- a buffet of excitement and hype! Japan has been a hotbed of controversy this week: A building crescendo of rumors abounded throughout talks of MAPPA studios since late last month, reaching their dramatic conclusion this week. Details follow below, but first- here's your Rapid Rundown!

1. Vinland Saga Season 2 Confirmed!

2. DEEMO Gets Movie?!

3. New Anime: In The Land of Leadale!

4. This Week in Anime: MAPPA Controversy!

1. Vinland Saga Season 2 Confirmed!

A last minute addition to this week's news, and it's already the first headline: Vinland Saga's second season has been confirmed! A Twitter post made by a news account on the 7th of July confirmed the sequel to the viking anime in the form of 4 pictures revealing rough drafts of the anime title. Much speculation followed regarding which studio would be involved in its making, with the top contenders being Studio MAPPA, Wit Studio and Studio Kafka. Just today, final news was received that Wit Studio (they also made its first season) is indeed involved, sending waves of excitement throughout the community.

Already a successful title, Vinland Saga's second season will offer lots of character development for Thorfinn and the other main cast, which- as the manga readers will know- is the point beyond which Vinland Saga really gets good! Winner of the Anime of the Year award during the 6th Anime Trending Awards in 2019, Vinland Saga has gained a large dedicated following even in the international setting. The season 1 synopsis, as given by Amazon Prime Video, is as follows:
"Around the end of the millennium, Viking, the mightiest but atrocious tribe, had been outbreaking everywhere. Thorfinn, the son of the greatest warriro, lived his childhood in the battlefield. He was seeking the land of reverie called Vinland. This is the story of a true warrior in an age of turmoil."

You can check out the official trailer here.

The release date is yet to be announced.

2. DEEMO Gets Movie?!

We can't make this up folks: your favorite rhythm game is getting a movie adaptation! For those who missed out, DEEMO was originally a mobile rhythm game developed by Rayark Games and released in 2013 for both Android and iOS. Following massive success and great reviews, it got a PS Vita remake in 2015, followed by a Nintendo Switch version in 2017. And now, in 2021, it's finally getting a movie!

Titled "DEEMO Memorial Keys" and produced under Signal.MD and Production I.G, the film is an adaptation of of the orignal game (DEEMO 2 is currently in the works!). The synopsis, as given by Rayark Games, is as follows:
A girl who fell from the skies and lost her past
Deemo who plays the piano all alone in the world of the treehouse
an accidental encounter between the two.
The music flows as the fingers hit the piano keys.
The start of a fairytale journey has begun…
‘Before turning to leave, don’t forget to say one last goodbye.’

We'll keep you updated on any developments on the movie in the future, but there's one thing we can already vouch for: with Production I.G. and Deemo in the same house, this movie is destined for nothing short of greatness! You can catch the trailer here.



3. New Anime: In The Land of Leadale!

New Beginnings in Familiar Lands.

After a horrific accident put her on life support, the last vestige of freedom Keina Kagami had was in the VRMMORPG World of Leadale. When she wakes up in the body of her game avatar, though, Keina—now Cayna—finds that the worries of her old life appear to be a thing of the past, but somehow this new land doesn't seem to be quite the Leadale she remembers...

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how Yen Press describes the latest addition to 2022s list of Winter anime. Produced by MAHO Film, the anime adaptation of Ceez's Leadale no Daichi lite light novel was announced by Kadokawa this Monday. While no other details have been revealed and a trailer still eludes us, this is certainly a title to watch out for if the novels are any indication on how the story will play out. Isekai and MMO-anime fans have a new series to be on the lookout for!

4. This Week in Anime: MAPPA Shuts Down Rumors!

A week-long sequence of rumors bashing MAPPA studios' reputation came to an abrupt halt this Thursday, with the studio promising "decisive action" against parties which would seek to defame the company. MAPPA had been the subject of growing unease in the anime community for quite some time, with pictures surfacing- as early as the 27th of June- of its director (Yuichiro Hayashi) with baggy eyes, giving the impression that he had been overworked. While no response to these claims has been given by the company, MAPPA was quick to address other rumors following the bandwagon of shaming.

On July the 2nd, animator Ippei Ichii, took to Twitter and went public about his issues with the pay rates offered by the company. He claimed that while working for MAPPA, animators were underpaid and offered the lowest rates per cut (approx $34); a blatant example of the "overworked and underpaid" work culture which Japan is notorious for.

Soon after this news, MAPPA unveiled a new studio with improved facilities and a comfortable working environment for its employees; the director of the company also went on record to state that Chainsaw Man will be produced within the same studio. It also took to social media to openly chastise the parties discrediting the studio, by stating that the information shared was incomplete and out of context. MAPPA also pointed out that its business relations have suffered as a consequence of the rumors and that the payments were made "within the scale of the budget" under which they were working.

Make of that what you will!

That's all we got for you this week, folks! Pop back in next week for all the latest updates on what's hot in the world of anime: same time, same place- Adilsons!